On Sep 28, 5:19*pm, "Bob Hobden" wrote:
"Des Higgins" *wrote

This is my third year growing punpkins. *Each year some plants do
great and some just never get going.
This year, 2 plants that I started early and got into the ground
before the weather went terrible in May, thrived. *I got 6 pumpkins
each from them (less than half the diameter of a football each but
enough each to feed 5 or 6 roasted). *4 plants that I started a little
later and that were doing really well in greenhouse, were planted out
after the weather went bad and they never got going (1 small pumpkin
from 4 plants). *Can any experts please describe how they do their
pumpkins (when do you germinate; plant out and how do you treat
them). *I am seriously considering a small mobile polytunnel next year
or cloche; would this work?

We sow ours so they are a decent size to plant out Chelsea Flower show time,
I think it is about the end of April in our heated greenhouse.
Before planting out we dig a decent sized hole where they are going and fill
it with well rotted compost, the plant is then planted in the middle of this
compost filled hole. The soil removed makes a dam around the plant to aid
watering and a cane is pushed into this dam to enable one to see where to
water when the leaves cover everything. A few handfuls of Chicken poo
pellets is applied to the top of the compost during the season and if I
remember they get a watering or two of seaweed extract early on.
Water is also important and if it's dry they get a 2 gal bucket a day, if
it's like this year they didn't need any extra once the weather broke. One
good point about this wet year is they rooted at the nodes too so did extra
well.

I was told by a previous British Champion that the giant veg growers grow
their giant pumpkins in heated polytunnels and plant the special seed at
Christmas.
--
Regards
Bob Hobden

thanks Bob!

Des